Let me start by acknowledging once more that fry bread is not a traditional food. Native people have mixed feelings about this bread because its ingredients represent our colonization. Yet I can’t think of one Native gathering across the country where I haven’t seen fry bread on the table. Through the decades, this survival food has become a staple in our cuisine. Either someone from the community brings it to our get-togethers or a vendor is selling it at powwows.
We’ve become so passionate about our fry bread that many tribes take pride in putting their own twist on it. Navajo fry bread is thinner and wider, our Potawatomi version is a bit smaller and thicker, and others make them in little squares like pillows. Some are flatter, and others are fluffier. We eat fry bread with soups and stews, drizzle it with honey and cinnamon, top it with wojape, and have even turned it into our very own version of a taco. So, as aware as I am of its history, I honestly think it also represents our resilience and our efforts to survive some of the hardest times of our lives. Just remember that, like anything sweet or fried, this traditional guilty pleasure should be eaten in moderation.
